Railway block-signaling system.



N ,739,518. PAiTENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

H. B. TAYLOR. RAILWAY 'BLOGK. SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1901.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: I l/YME/VTOH.

Jaw/M;

Y I WPATENTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

H. B. TAYLOR.

RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1901. I no mom!- -2 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: V INVENTOH .m J. 4/4 i665; W.

N-iTED STATES Patented September 22. 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.-

RAILWAY.BLOCK-SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 739,518, datedSeptember 22, 1903. Application filed August 2, 1901. Serial No. 70,636(NomodeL) bodying all the essential features ofany standard system nowin use and at-the same time avoiding defects relative to such signals towhich objection can be made.

.The system maybe called a wireless cab block-signal system, from thefact that all line-wires are dispensed with, no wires of any kind beingused except those connecting the signal with the rails, and to attainthis object I intend employing such apparatus as has already beendescribed in previous patents of my own, together with such otherapparatus as is or has been in practical use for wireless signalingpurposes, this combination being novel and useful.

The description is as follows: A railway track is divided intoblocks orsections which are electrically insulated one from another in a mannerusual in signal practice, each section including a source of electricalenergy, thus forming a'track-circuit. A device controlled by thetrack-circuit oi a section is arranged and adapted to operate atransmitting device which is located at or near the junction of two ofthe said sections. The said transmitting device on being energized willsend electrical waves or oscillations out through'spacc-thai is, throughthe surrounding medium. A sensitive receiver may be located at anysuitable place for observation along the track or may be placed on themoving train. This receiver is adaptedto be influenced by the waves oroscillations produced by the said transmitting device. As objection ismade in some "cases to visual signals placed along the track, which maybe obscured by snow or fog, I prefer in such cases to locate thereceiver on the train. The signal on the train or cab of the engine maybe visual or audible, preferably the former, and

is controlled by the said receiving device,

batteries 1, 2, and 3.

and the engineer or train-runner is governed by the said signal instead'of looking ahead for a track-signal and is therefore able to maintain aregular speed in storm or fog.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of a portion of atrack provided with my signaling system. Fig. 2 shows a modificationthereof. Fig. 3 shows in detail the apparatus provided for propagatingor transmitting electrical waves or oscillations undercontrol of thetrack devices.

In Fig. 1, AB C are theblocks or sections into which-the railway-trackis divided. 1 2 3 are the so'urces of electrical energy for therespective. sections A, B, and O. The negativefrail- 'of. the, sectionsmay be grounded.

Maghets l, 5, a-nd 6 are of high resistance (twenty ohmsland arenormally energized by The contacts 7 8 9 are normally held open, thusmaking the circuits of sections A B C open track-circuits. Magnets 1O 1112 are in shunt relation to magnets 4, 5, and 6 and are of lowresistance, (one ohm.) At the opposite ends (if-sections l3 and C fromthe source of energy arelocated magnets 13 and 14, connected across therails of their respective sections, but including, re-, spectively, thecontacts 7 and 8. Magnets 13 and 14 are of medium resistance (five ohms)and are in series relation to batteries 2 and 3-1'. 6., magnet 13 is in.series with battery 2.

and with magnet 11, and magnet 1% is in series with battery3 and magnet12-so that the 8: resistance of the completed track-circnit'of 3suitabledevice for propagating or transinitting electrical waves oroscillations duringthe entire time that said device is in operated orcontrolled condition. any approved type, butwonld generallyco'n Suchdevice may be of tain a primary electric circuit and source of energyand also a secondary circuit which is adapted to become energized byinduction from the said primary and toim part or transmit the saidoscillations upon becoming so energized, one part of said secondarycircuit being connected toground. As this device must transmit the wavesor oscillations as long as the controlling-circuit remains energized, itis necessary to provide an induction device which will operatecontinuously dur-- ing such conditions. Such a device is shown in Fig.3, consisting of an induction-coil 21, having its primary connectedthrough the circuit-breaker 22 and the energizing-battery 23 to thelocal circuit 24, cont-rolled by the armature 15, while the secondary ofsuch induction coil is connected, on -one hand, to ground and, on theother hand, to the trans- -mitting conductor or terminal 26. Thecircuit-breaker 22 referred to is controlled magnetically by theinduction-coil in the usual manner, so as to continually make and breakthe circuit, and thereby cause the induction of current im ulses in thesecondary circuit, which impuls s are ,transmitted through the device 26to the surrounding atmosphere as electrical waves or oscillations.circuitof the transmitting deviceisnormally open at contact and iscontrolled by magnet 4 of section a and magnet 13 of section B. Magnet 4normally holds open the contact 15. Therefore as long as the primarycircuit is open at 15 there is no wave transmission. On section A arewheels and axle F, intended to represent a train bridging the rails ofsaid section. To some part of said trainvF, preferably to the front oftheengine-pilot,is fixed astatf G, insulated therefrom and as high asthe stack. To this said staff is fixed the sensitive receiving device,which may be ofany approved type and must be adapted to be influenced bythe electrical oscillations which proceed from the stationarytransmitter D in advatice of the train F. The said receiver must also beadapted to control the circuit of a signal located on the said train,preferably the engine-cab. I show a signal which is normally in a safetyor clear position and which will assume the danger position uponthe-train entering upon a defective trackcircuit or for any other reasonthatwould cause the receiver to become denergized. The normal conditionof the various circuits is as follows: Battery 1 isenergizinghigh-resistance' magnet 4, holding open contactv 15 of '5: theprimary circuit of signal-transmitter D.

Battery2 of section B is similarly energizing magnet 5. Contact 7 in thetrack-circuit of section B is open, owing to the denergization of magnet10 of section A, and therefore no current flows through thetrack-circuit andvmagnets 11 and 13 of section .B. The signal deviceslocated on the train (which has not entered upon a cont'rolled section)may beassumed to be deenergized and the. signaLd-isk in the dangerposition.

The-operation is as follows: Upon train F entering controlled section Aa low-resist ance bridge is established across the rails of saidsection, and the current from battery 1 is divided proportionatelybetween the circuit through relay 4 and the circuit through relaylO withthe rails of section A. As the The primary the decrease of circuitthrough relay 10 (which has a resistauce of one ohm) and the rails is ofm uch lower resistance than the circuit through relay 4,

(which has a resistance of twenty ohms,) most defined circuit is muchless than the resistance of the circuit through relay 5, a greater partof the current from battery. 2 will thus flow through magnet 13, and thepull exerted on the armature 15 by magnet 13 will be more thansufiicient to overcome the attraction of magnetet of section A for thesaid armature. Upon the closure of contact 15 the primary circuit of thetransmitter D is energized, and by induction the secondary circuitproduces waves or oscillationswhich will be propagated through space.'The condition of the signalde Thus the contact 15 will be closed.

vices on the train F will be changed upon the y entrance of the saidtrain upon the section A. The receiver Gis so influenced by the waveswhich areprod uced-bythetransmitterthat the.

magnet of the signal H is energized, causing the signal to assume thesafety position,which indicates that section Bis clear. As the train Freaches section B magnet 13 becomes shortcircuited, owing to thebridging of. the rails of section B, and as the said magnet no longerexerts apull on armature 15 the said armature is drawn against its back'stop by the magnet 4, which is still weakly energized. This action opensthe primary circuit of transmitter D, and the electrical waves are -nolonger produced by transmitter D. Similarly as in section A-nponbridging the rails of sec-v tion B the magnet 11 at the advance end ofsaidsection now becomesn'ergized, owing to resistance'i'n therail-circuit, the resistance of which was six ohms. By cutting out relay13 at the entrance end of section B, whose resistance is five ohms,magnet 11, which has a resistance of one ohm and was in series withmagnet 13, now becomes powerfully energized and closes the track-circuitof ,the section 0, said circuit controlling the primary circuit of thetransmitter E. It will be seen that the train-signal'H does not changeits position upon entering 'a new section unless circuits of the trackor transmitter are out of order or sections are occupied. Anyderangementorf the several devices will cause the signal H to assume adanger position, thus assuring absolute safety in running trains. "Asthe wave-signals may be trans-' mitted through storms or fog as well asduring clear weather, the value of this invention will be plainlyapparent. Although I have shown the receiving device as located a on amoving train, there is no reason why it can: not be located at anyconvenient place along the-track, if so desired.

Fig. 2 represents the signal placed in fined position near the trackconvenient forobservation. In Fig. 2 the-arrangement of circuits anddevices are somewhat different. A,

B, and O are the sections; hatteries 1, 2, and

Ilia-D are the are in series relation to battery 2-of section B, andrelays 14, 18, and 12 are in series re-- .lation to battery 3 of section0. Relays 16,

$5 10, and 13 are similarly connected to batnal will not be operated.

tery 10f section A.-

Theoperation is as follows: Upon the short- .circuiting pf section Arelay 13 at the enis short-circuited and relays 16,.

said 10 alone are energized. Owing to the low resistance of relay 10,which may be one ohm, it did not normally exert sufficient pull on thecontact? to close the circuit of section B; but when nelay 13" of fiveohms is short-cireuited relay 10 becomes strongly enough energized toclose the said circuit. Upon the closure of the said circuit relays l3and .17 become energized and relay 13 closes the circuit of receiver Gfor signal H at point 15. This signal is actuated by thereceiver G,which in 'these relays relay 11 is not energized owing to thefhighresistance of the other relays; but

when relay 13 is short-circuited by entrance of a train on the sectionthen sufficient current will pass in this circuit to energize relay 11and'coutrol the next section- It will be noted that any transmittercannot influence any receiver except the one on the same secion, theother receivers being open-circuited. One advantage of the system abovedescribed, wherein the signaling device' is located on the train itself,is that after a train has entered a block indicated as safe it is istill open to receive signals indicating subsequ'ent actions, such asopening of a switch, rendering the block dangerous. For example, theopening of a switch would break the track-circuit and stop thetransmission .of

safety impulses. Havingthus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

,1. In a wireless cab block-signal system,

,the combination of a track divided into blocks or sections,track-circuits for the'blocks,

source of electrical energy for each of said track-circuits, deviceslocated in the vicinity of the track and controlled by saidtrack-circuits for producing electrical oscillations during-the entiretime that said devices are in operated condition and for transmittingwithout other conductors the said oscillations through the surroundingmedium, and a signal suitably located and adapted to indicate thecondition of the said blocks or sections through the influence of thesaid electrical oscillations.

2. In a wireless cab block-signal system, the combination of a trackdivided into blocks or sections, a device located near the track, andadapted to produce electrical oscillations in the surrounding mediumduring the entire time t hat said device is in operated co'ndition, asignal adapted to be actuated bythe said oscillations and indicating thecondition of the track in advance of a train, and track devices conuected with. each of said blocks or sections and controlled by the movementof the said train for causing the production and propagation of theelectrical oscillations which actuate the signal and a source ofelectrical energy for operating said track devices.

3. In a wireless cab block-signal system,

and adapted to produce electrical oscillations time that said deviceis'in operated condition, a signal located on a train and adapted in thesurrounding medium during the entire to be actuated by the saidoscillations and indicating the condition of the track in advance ofsaid train, and track-circuits controlled by the movement of the saidtrain and controlling the aforesaid oscillation-producing devices forcausing the production and propagation of the electrical oscillationswhich actuate the signal and a source of electrical energy for each ofsaid track-circuits.

4. In a wireless cab block-signal system, the combination of attackdivided into blocks or sections, devices for transmitting elect/ri calimpulses through space ,without Wires, locatedalong the track, saiddevices being adapted and arranged to transmit such impulses during theentire time that said devices are in operated condition, a receiver forthe said impulses located on a moving train, means adjacent to the trackcontrolled automatically by the said train for transmitting andreceiving the said impulses, anda signal onthe said train forindicatingthe condition of the-track-sections, actuated by the operationof the transmitting device.

5. In a wireless cab block-signal sys em,

the co m bination'of a track divided into blocks or sections, electricwave or oscillation-producing devices, located at-or near the junctionof two sections for transmitting electric waves through the surroundingmedium during the entire time that said devices arein operatedcondition, a device adapted to be energized by the said electric waveslocated the junction of two sections and capable of producing electricaloscillations in the sur-; rounding medium during the entire time thatsaid devices arein operated condition, areceiver located on a train andadapted to be energized by such electrical oscillations, a signaldependent upon the energization of the said receiver also located onthe'said train, and a track-circuit for controlling said signal arrangedto operate said signal upon the entrance of the train on thetrack-circuit, or

the exit of the train from the track-circuit and a source of electricalenergy for the trackcircuit.

7. In a wireless cal) block signal system, the combination of a trackdivided into blocks or sections, devices for transmitting electricalimpulses without wires through the surrounding medium during the'entiretime that said devices are in operated condition and located at thejunction of two sections, a device for receiving the said electricalimpulses, located on-a train, and controlling a signal capable ofindicating the condition of a, track-section in advance of thetransmitting device, and track-circuits for each block for actuating thesaid transmitting devices, said track-circuits being controlled by themovement of the said train on the different track-sections and a sourceof electrical energy for each track-cirenit.

.8; In 'a wireless cab block-signal system, the combination of a trackdivided into blocks or sections, devices, located at or near thejunction of two sections and adapted to produce electric waves in thesurrounding medium during the entire time said devices are in operatedcondition, a device adapted to be energized by the said electric waves,and track-circuits for each section controlling theelectric-wave-prodncing devicesand adapted to cause the operation of thesaid devices upon the entrance of the train on the said track-circuitsand a source of electrical energy for each track-circuit.

9. In a wireless cab block-signal system,a track divided into blocks,each block constituting a track-circuit, devices near said blocks forpropagating electrical oscillations through space, energizing-circuitsfor said oscillation devices, relays in said track-circuits forcontrolling said ener'gizingcircuits, sa'idrelays controlled by a trainin a preceding block, and aireceiving device responsive to saidoscillations suitably arranged to give notice of the condition of theblock in advance of the train.

10. In a wireless cab block-signal system, a

track divided into blocks, each block constitutingatrack-circuit,devices near said blocks for propagating electrical oscillations throughspace, energizing-circuits for said oscillation devices, relays in saidtrackrcircnits for controlling said energizing-circuits, said relayscontrolled bya train in a preceding block, and a receiving deviceresponsive to said oscillations suitably arranged on said train to givenotice of the condition of a block in advance of the train.

11. In a wireless cab'block-signal system, a

ti e

track divided into blocks, each block constitnting a track-circuit,devices near said blocks a for propagating electrical oscillationsthrough space, energizing-circuits for said oscillation devices, relaysin said track-circuits for controlling said energizing-circuits, saidrelays being of different resistances, the relay of higher resistancecontrolling the energizing circuit of the propagating device and therelay of lower'resistance controlling an advance track-circuit,saidrelays controlled by a train in a preceding block, and a receivingdevice responsive to said oscillations suitably arranged to give noticeof the condition of a block in advance of the train.

12. In a wireless cab block-signal. system, a,

HERBERT B. EAYLUR.

Witnesses:

J. Gnnnn, A. P. KNIGHT;

IOC

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 739,518, grantedSebtexnber 22,

1903, upon the application of Herbert B. Taylor, of Newark, New Jersey,the titlelgf the invention wae erroneously written and printed RailwayBlock-Signaling System,- whereas the said title should. have beenwritten and printed Wireless Gab Block-Signal System; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in'the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of October, A. D., 1903. 7 mm F. I.ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

